an Indian High Court Justified Weeks after the hijab was banned in classrooms in Karnataka on Tuesday, the decree sparked violent protests and rekindled fears of discrimination against the country’s Muslim minority.
The state of Karnataka was on edge for several weeks after a small group of teenage girls were stopped from wearing costumes on the school grounds late last year.
Demonstrations broke out across the state and police used tear gas to disperse the angry crowd as more schools imposed their own restrictions and hardline Hindu groups retaliated.
After weeks of deliberation, the High Court of Karnataka ruled that wearing the hijab “is not a part of the religious practice required in the Islamic faith”.
In their decision, the schools have reasonable grounds for enforcing a dress code that forbids the hijab in the interest of preventing division on religion and other grounds.
The hijab is an important article of faith in Islam and many in Karnataka say Muslim girls have worn it to schools for decades, as do Hindus, Sikhs and Christians with symbols of their respective religions.
Critics accused the authorities in Karnataka, which is governed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, of trying to drive a wedge between religious communities that have coexisted peacefully for generations.
Study: Hijab banned deepening Hindu-Muslim fault lines in the Indian state of Karnataka
Indian politicians and journalists criticized the court’s decision, with many calling it a violation of fundamental rights and pointing to the growing religious extremism in their country.
Former chief minister of occupied Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah said he was “very disappointed” with the court’s decision, pointing out that the matter pertains to a woman’s right to dress how she wants to dress. “The court has not upheld this fundamental right, it is a joke,” he said.
A similar sentiment was expressed by Mehbooba Mufti, another former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, who said, “On one hand, we talk of empowering women, yet we deny them the right to a simple alternative.” It is not just about religion but the freedom to choose.”
Prominent Muslim MLA Asaduddin Owaisi also shared a 15-point long thread on Twitter, saying the verdict “suspends fundamental rights to freedom of religion, culture, speech and expression”.
“Other people of the same religion also do not have the right to decide the imperative. It is between man and God. The state should be allowed to interfere with religious rights only when such acts of worship cause harm to others. The headscarf does not harm anyone,” he said. said.
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“What was the court’s view on the way Muslim women were threatened and asked to remove their hijabs? The way little girls were stopped from going to school till they were at the gate, don’t take off your dupatta?” questioned of ndtv Consulting Editor Nidhi Razdan.
Another journalist Shams Irfan, expressing his apprehension on what would happen after the verdict, said, “This decision which is meant for schools and colleges will soon be implemented by goons on roads and public places.
“That was always the case.”
Journalist Arefa Johri remarked that the issue was “always about targeting Indian Muslims, and now the court has joined in”.
Journalist Sumedha Pal said, “Hijab is a fundamental right, it is as much a question of faith as it is a question of physical autonomy.